- December 16, 2025
For Ormond Beach's Ken Tubertini and his wife, Jane, it's not the holidays unless they're helping collect gifts for needy children worldwide.
BY WAYNE GRANT | STAFF WRITER
Ken Tubertini, of Ormond Beach, and his wife, Jane, have been volunteering for Operation Christmas Child for 20 years, and he said it makes their holiday season.
“You’re talking about kids who have never had any kind of gift,” he said. “They get their shoebox of presents and you see them smiling and jumping around. It’s something to see.”
Through the charity, volunteers fill shoeboxes with miscellaneous items for either a girl or a boy. They can also select an age group. The boxes are shipped by Samaritans’ Purse International Relief to more than 130 countries, including India, the Ukraine and others, where they are distributed to needy children.
Tubertini is the media coordinator for the organization, extending through Volusia and Flagler counties.
Examples of gifts include toothpaste, socks, water bottles, flip flops, pencils, paper, hats, gloves, balls and other toys.
“Part of the journey might be on an elephant or a camel,” Tubertini said.
There should be no war toys, such as guns or knives, in the box.
“These are third-world kids,” Tubertini said. “Many of them have seen a lot of war.”
After packing, the boxes are dropped off at a collection center.
“Some people have (family) packing parties to put shoeboxes together,” he said. “What a lesson for kids."
The boxes will be collected Nov. 18-25, and then shipped to a Samaritan’s Purse distribution point. Thousands of volunteers from around the country help ship the boxes.
Last year, Tubertini said about 10,000 boxes were shipped from Volusia and Flagler counties.
Tubertini said he and his wife have been involved because it’s a “tremendous and worthwhile” project.
“You’re helping kids; it doesn’t get better than that,” he said. “You’re talking about kids who don’t even know when their birthday is. That’s more common than you would think.”
He has seen the reactions of children receiving gifts by watching videos brought back by people who distribute the shoeboxes. He said some of the kids have eventually been able to go to school in the United States and, years later, they remember the gifts they received through the charity, since they meant so much to them.
“You can make a difference in a child’s life,” he said.
He said 10 million boxes were distributed last year, but that is a drop in the bucket compared to all the children around the world that need help. Since 1993, the organization has delivered 100 million boxes.
One of the collection centers for the boxes is Johnson Orthodontics in Palm Coast. Michel Turner, receptionist, said the staff had put together 100 boxes so far.
She said the office has been participating since 2002.
“Last year, we collected 1,300 boxes,” she said. “We stack them all the way to the ceiling. We’re excited about it.”
She said she has seen videos that bring tears to her eyes.
“These kids have nothing,” she said.
For information on Operation Christmas Child, visit samaritanspurse.org and click on “What We Do,” or call the organization, at 800-353-5949. Ken Tubertini can be reached at 872-2521.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DROP-OFF LOCATIONS
Ormond Beach - Beachside
Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church
105 Amsden Road, Ormond Beach
441-0300
Ormond Beach – Mainland
Oasis Church
85 S. Tymber Creek Road, Ormond Beach
676-2640
Ormond Beach – North
Daytona Beach Harley-Davidson
1637 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach
642-3464
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach Alliance Church
1250 Beville Road, Daytona Beach
212-5504
